Re-organisation of Policy Bureaux of the Government Secretariat

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The Government Secretariat was re-organised into 12 bureaux with effect from
1 July 2007.

Objectives of the re-organisation

The re-organisation served two key objectives – to rationalise the
distribution of responsibilities between policy bureaux and to better
facilitate the Chief Executive to implement the priority policy initiatives
pledged during the CE election to meet the opportunities and challenges of Hong
Kong ahead.

Major changes

The major changes involved in the re-organisation are as follows –

(a) Development: The Development Bureau covers matters relating to planning,
land use, buildings, urban renewal, construction and works and
development-related heritage conservation. Bringing related policies together
will help speed up the implementation of large-scale projects, and enhance
efficiency while ensuring early attention to heritage conservation.

(b) Food and Health: To enable more focused attention to the related issues
of food and health, they remain with the same bureau (ie the Food and Health
Bureau). The welfare portfolio was transferred to the Labour and Welfare Bureau
after the re-organisation.

(c) Labour and Welfare: Re-organisation helps realise the CE's election
pledge of alleviating poverty and promoting self-reliance through job creation.
Policy responsibilities for labour, manpower and welfare issues have come under
the new Labour and Welfare Bureau to help enhance policy interface.

(d) Environment: Closely related policies on environmental protection,
sustainable development and energy are put under the same bureau (ie the
Environment Bureau).

(e) Transport and Housing: Matters relating to our internal and external
transportation, including air services, maritime transport, land and waterborne
transport and logistics, are put under the same roof (ie the Transport and
Housing Bureau). The bureau also takes charge of housing policy.

(f) Commerce and Economic Development: The policy portfolio of the previous
Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau was merged with closely related areas
of the previous Economic Development and Labour Bureau and expanded to cover
matters relating to tourism, consumer protection, creative industry and
competition policy. Recognising the expanded remit of the bureau, it was
re-titled the "Commerce and Economic Development Bureau".

(g) Home Affairs: Policy on social enterprise and legal aid are put under
the Home Affairs Bureau, but matters relating to human rights and access to
information were transferred to the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau,
and development-related heritage conservation has come under the Development
Bureau.

(h) Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: The previous Constitutional Affairs
Bureau was re-titled the "Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau"
to reflect more accurately the fact that coordination of HKSAR's relations with
the Mainland is under the Bureau's charge. The bureau also takes up matters
relating to human rights and access to information.